DOTCAN Institute’s Post

For some of you signed up for our Newsletter, the latest announcements have already reached listening ears.. . 💌 But let's share it also here for our incredibly valuable #MSP community across various EU #seabasins! It is to let know that over this upcoming MSP-GREEEN project closing period, there are 4️⃣ sea-basin workshops organised in order to disseminate #recommendations and to identify specific elements and priority #actions at the basin scale:  🔹 Black Sea workshop (20.06), was organised in combination with MSP4BIO and MPA Europe Project session. The event summarised outcomes are made available here: https://lnkd.in/dXE2FjTU UPCOMING! 🔹 Baltic Sea workshop (17.09) will be taking place in Rīga (Latvia), organised back-to-back with HELCOM-VASAB MSP Working Group. More information is made available here, including an open call registration for relevant stakeholders: https://lnkd.in/dRs4-Cej | Viedās administrācijas un reģionālās attīstības ministrija | MSP FI - MSP in Finland, Suomen merialuesuunnittelu | VASAB 🔹 Mediterranean Sea workshop (20.09) will be taking place in Izola (Slovenia), involving the Msp Med-CoP and EU Strategy for the Adriatic - Ionian Region - EUSAIR community. More information is made available here, including an open call registration for relevant stakeholders: https://lnkd.in/dzHqkauM | CORILA 🔹 North Sea and Atlantic workshop (26.09) will be taking place in Saint-Malo (France), co-organised with French representatives for Atlantic Strategy and DGAMPA. More information is made available here, including an open call registration for relevant stakeholders: https://lnkd.in/dAZxYA5c | Cerema | the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture (DGAMPA) of the French Secretary of State for the Sea and Biodiversity ↪ Are you an MSP practitioner, decision-maker, scientific representative or passionate stakeholder on marine matters? Be invited to join our various sea-basin sessions! #MaritimeSpatialPlanning #EuropeanGreenDeal #Crossborder #Collaboration #EMFAF European Commission CINEA - European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency

🌊 Why investment in ocean leaders from the Global South is a must 🌍      Our project partner Aqua-Farms Organization - AFO, has published an insightful article on its Tanzania Dive Labs initiative, which plays a crucial role in developing future leaders committed to ocean conservation. 🪸     The programme has certified over 25 individuals as scuba divers, from Open Water to Divemaster levels, addressing the systemic barriers African marine scientists face in education, as well as incorporating storytelling to amplify and inspire marine conservation efforts. 🤿     ORRAA works with AFO to enhance the resilience and livelihoods of vulnerable coastal communities by channeling investment into impactful solutions, including establishing a voluntary carbon market to restore mangroves and developing micro credit and savings schemes to upgrade to tubular nets for seaweed farming.    Why is this important?     As Nancy Iraba, AFO’s Underwater Program Lead, explains, “Countries in the Global South are often at the frontline of climate change and environmental degradation, making it imperative for local communities to be actively involved in conservation efforts. Empowering young leaders from these regions ensures that those most affected by environmental challenges have the skills and agency to address them.”     📖 Read the full article here: https://ow.ly/1eEO50TBoZI      #OceanLeaders #TanzaniaDiveLabs #GlobalSouth #ORRAA #AFO #CoastalCommunities

🪸The seventh International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC) conference  convened this week (13-18 Oct), where early-career researcher Dr Nina Rivers will be contributing in two of the events: 🔹Today, Nina will be part of a panel discussion on "Preserving Cultural Heritage, Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge, and Decolonising Marine Conservation" (Wednesday 16 October at 13:30): – she will be drawing from her experience in Algoa Bay as well as across the Hub regarding participatory research methods. The panel is organised by SANBI - South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. 🔹On Friday (18 October at 15:30) Nina will also be presenting "Our Coasts, Our Voices: Mapping and integrating sociocultural uses in marine spatial planning in Algoa Bay”- this talk will speak to the importance and complexity of trying to map culturally significant areas for marine spatial planning in South Africa. 📖 Read more here >> https://lnkd.in/eHy8yQ9p International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) The Nature Conservancy, WWF, CORDIO East Africa , African Union - Inter African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), WIOMSA - Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association, Nairobi Convention Secretariat , SCB Marine #culturalheritage #indigenousknowledge #traditionalknowledge #decolonising #marineconservation #algoabay #participatory #panel #oceanbiodiversity #coastalmapping #marinespatialplanning #sociocultural #southafrica #collaboration #capacitybuilding #scalability #sustainability #ecosystems #IMCC7

How can we strengthen the implementation of the Ocean Decade in the Atlantic? There is significant activity in the Atlantic in the framework of the #OceanDecade, with 53 of our endorsed 56 global programmes working at least partially in the Atlantic Ocean. However, while the Ocean Decade has a network of regional and thematic coordination hubs, no such coordination structure yet exists in the Atlantic. The lack of an Ocean Decade regional coordination structure is resulting in missed opportunities for collaboration. To address this, we've organised a workshop in the sidelines of the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance Forum to lay the foundation for coordination of the Ocean Decade in the Atlantic ocean basin. Bringing together key ocean stakeholders, the workshop included discussions on: 🌊 The status of the Ocean Decade in the Atlantic Ocean basin, identifying regional coordination needs 🌊 An overview of key regional coordination and cooperation structures in the Atlantic, including mandates and roles 🌊 The intersection between Ocean Decade regional coordination needs, existing structures, and remaining gaps 🌊 The identification of priority actions to advance regional coordination in the Atlantic in the framework of the Ocean Decade A big thank you to all the participants. These discussions will help to scope an action plan to establish future regional coordination mechanisms for the Atlantic. Stay tuned for future updates!

#supporter | The Institut océanographique Paul Ricard regards the #environmental #commitment of companies as fundamental and emphasizes the urgency of the #maritime #industry taking actions to reduce the impact of its activities. ⚓At the heart of the institute’s mission lies the development of collective awareness around #ocean conservation through the promotion of an open #dialogue among all #economic, #scientific, #institutional and #association #stakeholders forming part of a “magic square.” ⚓The institute regards such collaboration as the only way that the maritime industry will be able to face the #challenges that lie ahead 👉https://vu.fr/lPoZi

🟡 🌊 SPA/RAC is launching two calls for #consultation, one for conducting an ecological characterization of the coastal and marine area of Bsis Island in #Libya, and the second for developing a socio-economic study of this zone: 〰️ ecological study https://bit.ly/3XK023I 〰️ socio-economic study https://bit.ly/4eJbdzr Bsis Island is potentially eligible for designation as a Marine Protected Area (#MPA). The information gathered from both studies will be crucial for the development of a management plan that will contribute to the effective management and preservation of the terrestrial, coastal, and marine heritage components of the future MPA. This initiative is supported by the EU-funded project " Bolstering Mediterranean Biodiversity and MCPAs for Nature " (#SEMPA Project). #MarineConservation #Mediterranean

🌊 New Perspectives on the Mediterranean: Recent Results from the BiodivMed Expedition We are thrilled to share encouraging news from the BiodivMed expedition, supported by SPYGEN, revealing that the Mediterranean Sea is in better shape than it was in the 1980s. This discovery is crucial for marine conservation and highlights the effectiveness of the efforts deployed in the region. During this mission, scientists utilized advanced techniques to assess biodiversity and environmental changes affecting this vital basin. The results indicate a notable improvement in certain marine ecosystems, thanks to protective measures and sustainable management of marine resources. This unique and exemplary partnership serving marine biodiversity also involves the Université de Montpellier, ANDROMEDE OCEANOLOGIE, the Vigilife International alliance, and two philanthropic associations from Nice: OceanoScientific and We Are Méditerranée. ➡️ Read the article: https://lnkd.in/dti28JtD Let's continue working together for a sustainable and prosperous future for our Mediterranean! 🌍💧

🌊Today, Hub Deputy Director Dr. Philile Mbatha will be joining early-career researcher Dr Nina Rivers at the seventh International Marine Conservation Congress. Philile is presenting and contributing to the panel discussion ‘Shaping the Future: Harnessing Science, Indigenous Knowledge, and Capacity for Scalable, Sustainable Conservation’ at 3.30pm (SAST), Hall 9. 💡 This session will emphasise the importance of integrating scientific insights and traditional ecological knowledge to develop effective and adaptable conservation policies that benefit both the environment and local communities. 🔎 They will explore how these combined approaches have been successful in the past and present, and how they can better address environmental challenges while promoting sustainable practices in the future. 🔹 Key Themes of the presentation will be: ⇶ Collaboration ⚡️ Capacity Building 📈 Scalability 🔹 Read More: https://lnkd.in/eheDsctP   International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) ; The Nature Conservancy ; WWF ; CORDIO East Africa ; African Union - Inter African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) ; WIOMSA - Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association ; Nairobi Convention Secretariat ; SCB Marine #IMCC7 #scientificresearch #indigenousknowledge #sustainability #sustainableconservation #collaboration #capacitybuilding #scalability #traditionalknowledge #marineconservation #policies #localcommunities #combinedapproach

🌏 Embracing the currents: An international conference on the Sulu Archipelago 🌊 📅 Tue, 12 Nov to Thu, 14 Nov 2024 👉 Register to join online: https://lnkd.in/gzcgEBff This conference will bring together scholars from diverse disciplines to explore the unique dynamics of the Sulu Archipelago and its role in Southeast Asia. Join us as we address essential questions about Sulu’s historical and contemporary relationships with the Filipino nation-state and neighboring regions. Plenary Panels Include: ➡ Opium, Cigarettes, and Fisheries: Governance and commodities in Sulu. ➡ Sulu and Seaweed: Gender, conservation, and livelihood. ➡ Beyond the Archipelago: Exploring regional connections of Sulu. ➡ Sulu, BARMM, and the Philippine State: Historical and legal perspectives. ➡ Biodiversity and Marine Conservation in Sulu. This conference is convened by The UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies and Mindanao State University - Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography, with co-conveners Philippines Studies Association (PSA Inc.) and the ANU Philippines Institute. 🌐 Don’t miss out on this opportunity to gain new insights and contribute to the future of studies in the Sulu archipelago!

When ships trade across the ocean, they can introduce invasive aquatic species (IAS) to new marine environments, posing one of the greatest threats to the world’s freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems.  Panama hosted a series of events for biofouling management specialists from Latin America and the Caribbean region (8-12 July), on how to mitigate the transfer of these invasive species via ships’ hulls or ballast water and how to help close the gender gap for women in biofouling.  Read about it here: https://lnkd.in/efNsrfcu MTCC Caribbean MTCC Latin America Universidad Marítima Internacional de Panamá The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the International Maritime Organization IMO-NORAD TEST Biofouling project GEF-UNDP-IMO GloFouling Partnerships #MarineBiofouling #WomenInBiofouling #Maritime #Shipping #Biofouling #Biosafety #Technology #AquaticInvasiveSpecies #BiofoulingManagement